urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog - Tags - hmc AIXpert Blog is about the AIX operating system from IBM running on POWER based machines called Power Systems and software related to it like IBM Systems Director, PowerVM for virtualisation and PowerSC for security plus performance monitoring and nmon030202016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00IBM Connections - Blogsurn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-61e388be-7d3b-4704-bb13-1627f2859963Systems Director - What AEM Licences should I have?nagger100000MRSJactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2012-09-24T10:02:00-04:002012-09-24T10:02:00-04:00<div>This is part 2 of Systems Director licensing or at least working out what you are doing with System Director that requires a license.<br />In part 1, we looked at listing (via the command line) the POWER machines that Systems Director was connected too.</div><div> </div><div>This time we what to find out the machines that Active Energy Manager (AEM) is controlling.<br /><br />Once you have installed AEM it is tempting to start monitoring and controlling all your Power Systems electrical use and temperatures but you should only use AEM if you have a license for AEM for each particular machine. Currently, this is not enforced but is on an &quot;honour&quot; basis. That might change in the future (this is not an announcement). So using the following commands, you can easily find out what machines AEM is aware of and check you legal position. If you find AEM is controlling Power machines that are not licensed you can then take an action:</div><ul><li>Purchase the license and to be blunt the cost of AEM is quite low - you should be able to break even in a year or two based on the electricity saving. This depending mostly on the cost from your energy supplier which vary widely from country to country.<br /></li><li>Remove the machine from AEM after you return it back to default energy management. Don't leave it in Power Saving mode with POWER7 Over-clocking (my favourite mode) as you can't switch it from that mode without reconnecting it to AEM.<br /></li></ul><div>On the Systems Director GUI, you can very simply check the machines being controlled by AEM because AEM creates a machine group for them.</div><div>From the Resource Manager the top Group is the one you need:<br /><br /><a '="" href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/ISD_Res_Mgr.jpg
" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/ISD_Res_Mgr.jpg
" style=" display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /></a> <br />Select the top one again for the machines (resources) managed):<br /><br /><a '="" href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/ISD_Res_Mgr2.jpg
" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/ISD_Res_Mgr2.jpg
" style=" display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /></a> <br />and you get the list of AEM machines (in my case just 11 of them) as below:</div><div> <a '="" href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/ISD_AEM_list.jpg
" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/ISD_AEM_list.jpg
" style=" display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /></a> </div><div> </div><div>Now this is an interesting page in its own right! It is giving you the Average Input and Output Watts (first two number columns and so the efficiency of you power supplies) and the Input and Output Temperature in Celius. Note: the &quot;grey&quot; machine is a POWER6 p570 machine that came out before the Energy and Thermal gizmo became available. If you have 100's of machines this view is a right pain in the &quot;***&quot; - What you really want to do license checking is a text list that you can get into a spreadsheet etc.</div><div> </div><div>So how can we get that machines using AEM list from the command line interface (CLI)?<br /><br />It took many goes on the CLI to find a way to do that but here is what works. When AEM is install there are AEM specific commands added to the CLI and the most useful for our purpose are below: <b>smcli lspowerinfo </b>and <b>smcli lsproperties</b><br /><br />Example:</div><blockquote><div># smcli lspowerinfo -N &quot;Active Energy Managed Resources&quot;<br />Name,Identifier,Root Identifier,Machine Type,Model,Supported Status,Metering Interval,Serial,Time Last Polled,Output Power Capping Supported,Input Power Capping Supported,Power Saving Supported,Altitude,Power Cycle Info,Resource Reference Identifiers,Metering Reference Identifiers,Cooling Reference Identifiers,Description<br />&quot;orange-8203-E4A-SN10E0A51&quot;,0x1240,0x1240,&quot;8203&quot;,&quot;E4A&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;10E0A51&quot;,9/24/12 11:23:32 AM,SOFT_POWER_CAP_SUPPORTED,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_DYNAMIC,350.0,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br />&quot;diamond-8233-E8B-SN100271P&quot;,0x1c41,0x1c41,&quot;8233&quot;,&quot;E8B&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;100271P&quot;,9/24/12 11:24:26 AM,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,SOFT_POWER_CAP_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_DYNAMIC,88.0,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br />&quot;bronze-8203-E4A-SN10E0A21&quot;,0x1241,0x1241,&quot;8203&quot;,&quot;E4A&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;10E0A21&quot;,,SOFT_POWER_CAP_SUPPORTED,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_DYNAMIC,350.0,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br />&quot;plum-8204-E8A-SN105C0B0&quot;,0x1242,0x1242,&quot;8204&quot;,&quot;E8A&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;105C0B0&quot;,9/24/12 11:23:20 AM,SOFT_POWER_CAP_SUPPORTED,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_DYNAMIC,350.0,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br />&quot;gold-8203-SN10E0A11&quot;,0x1c42,0x1c42,&quot;8203&quot;,&quot;E4A&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;10E0A11&quot;,9/24/12 11:21:00 AM,SOFT_POWER_CAP_SUPPORTED,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_DYNAMIC,350.0,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br />&quot;peach-8233-E8B-SN100272P&quot;,0x1c43,0x1c43,&quot;8233&quot;,&quot;E8B&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;100272P&quot;,9/24/12 11:24:06 AM,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,SOFT_POWER_CAP_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_DYNAMIC,86.0,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br />&quot;red-8203-E4A-SN10E0A41&quot;,0x1c44,0x1c44,&quot;8203&quot;,&quot;E4A&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;10E0A41&quot;,9/24/12 11:23:32 AM,SOFT_POWER_CAP_SUPPORTED,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_DYNAMIC,350.0,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br />&quot;purple-9117-MMB-SN100525P&quot;,0x123c,0x123c,&quot;9117&quot;,&quot;MMB&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;100525P&quot;,9/24/12 11:20:44 AM,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,SOFT_POWER_CAP_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_DYNAMIC,0.0,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br />&quot;silver-8203-SN10E0A31&quot;,0x123d,0x123d,&quot;8203&quot;,&quot;E4A&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;10E0A31&quot;,9/24/12 11:21:00 AM,SOFT_POWER_CAP_SUPPORTED,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_DYNAMIC,350.0,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br />&quot;grey-9117-MMA-p570-8F&quot;,0x123e,0x123e,&quot;9117&quot;,&quot;MMA&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;101CD8F&quot;,9/24/12 11:24:12 AM,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_STATIC_LOW,,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br />&quot;indigo-8231-E1C-SN0659FDR&quot;,0x1faef,0x1faef,&quot;8231&quot;,&quot;E1C&quot;,SUPPORTED,5,&quot;0659FDR&quot;,9/24/12 11:24:59 AM,POWER_CAP_NOT_SUPPORTED,SOFT_POWER_CAP_SUPPORTED,POWER_SAVER_DYNAMIC,31.0,POWER_CYCLE_SUPPORTED,,,,<br /># <br /></div></blockquote><div>This is the same list of machines and some other interesting (and some not interesting stuff - the altitude column is a laugh as all the machines are in the same room!).</div><div>For our purposes the machine name, type and Serial numbers are interesting. This command does not allow selecting the columns for output like some others but we can post process the columns we what with and proper UNIC command :-)<br /><blockquote># smcli lspowerinfo -N &quot;Active Energy Managed Resources&quot; | awk -F, '{ printf &quot;%30s %s %s\t%s %s %s\n&quot;, $1,$4,$5,$7,$8,$9 }'<br /> Name Machine Type Model Metering Interval Serial Time Last Polled<br /> &quot;orange-8203-E4A-SN10E0A51&quot; &quot;8203&quot; &quot;E4A&quot; 5 &quot;10E0A51&quot; 9/24/12 2:14:18 PM<br /> &quot;diamond-8233-E8B-SN100271P&quot; &quot;8233&quot; &quot;E8B&quot; 5 &quot;100271P&quot; 9/24/12 2:16:37 PM<br /> &quot;bronze-8203-E4A-SN10E0A21&quot; &quot;8203&quot; &quot;E4A&quot; 5 &quot;10E0A21&quot;<br /> &quot;plum-8204-E8A-SN105C0B0&quot; &quot;8204&quot; &quot;E8A&quot; 5 &quot;105C0B0&quot; 9/24/12 2:14:20 PM<br /> &quot;gold-8203-SN10E0A11&quot; &quot;8203&quot; &quot;E4A&quot; 5 &quot;10E0A11&quot; 9/24/12 2:16:58 PM<br /> &quot;peach-8233-E8B-SN100272P&quot; &quot;8233&quot; &quot;E8B&quot; 5 &quot;100272P&quot; 9/24/12 2:17:06 PM<br /> &quot;red-8203-E4A-SN10E0A41&quot; &quot;8203&quot; &quot;E4A&quot; 5 &quot;10E0A41&quot; 9/24/12 2:14:19 PM<br /> &quot;purple-9117-MMB-SN100525P&quot; &quot;9117&quot; &quot;MMB&quot; 5 &quot;100525P&quot; 9/24/12 2:17:30 PM<br /> &quot;silver-8203-SN10E0A31&quot; &quot;8203&quot; &quot;E4A&quot; 5 &quot;10E0A31&quot; 9/24/12 2:16:59 PM<br /> &quot;grey-9117-MMA-p570-8F&quot; &quot;9117&quot; &quot;MMA&quot; 5 &quot;101CD8F&quot; 9/24/12 2:14:54 PM<br /> &quot;indigo-8231-E1C-SN0659FDR&quot; &quot;8231&quot; &quot;E1C&quot; 5 &quot;0659FDR&quot; 9/24/12 2:17:08 PM<br />#<br /></blockquote></div><div> The &quot;Metering interval&quot; is how often AEM gets information on the Electrical use and Temperature and saved in the AEM historic database.<br /></div><div> The &quot;Time Last Polled&quot; shows it you are currently getting data i.e. up to date.<br /></div><div> </div><div> Another useful command it the AEM Parameters: <br /></div><div><blockquote># smcli lsproperties<br />Currency Type,Cooling Rate Multiplier,Price KWh,Graphical Refresh Rate,Metering Interval,Retain Data Duration,Power Units,Temperature Units,Power Factor,Default Voltage,Metering Active,Display Confirmation Prompts,UPS Change Notify<br />GBP,1.5,0.15,1,5,365,WATTS,CELSIUS,0.707,240.0,true,true,no<br /></blockquote> These are the settings you can define online here (and you can change them):</div><div> <a '="" href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/ISD_AEM_set.jpg
" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/ISD_AEM_set.jpg
" style=" display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /></a> </div><div> </div><div>Click Settings and you get ..<br /><a '="" href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/ISD_AEM_settings.jpg
" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/ISD_AEM_settings.jpg
" style=" display:block; margin: 0 auto;text-align: center; position:relative;" /></a> <br />From this you can see that electricity in the UK for a computer room costs about 15 pence per KiloWatt hour (very roughly) and for every Watt of heat in to the computers it take 1.5 more Watts to remove the heat with the air conditioner (cooling rate multiplier).<br /></div><div> </div><div>I hope that lets you understand your AEM usage and to stay legal on your licenses, Best of Luck Nigel <br /></div><div> </div><div>Note: <br /></div><div>I found the &quot;smcli lspowerobjects -t Servers&quot; looked about right to give me the list but it included LPARs in the list of Servers and was ... um ... not so useful. <br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div>
This is part 2 of Systems Director licensing or at least working out what you are doing with System Director that requires a license. In part 1, we looked at listing (via the command line) the POWER machines that Systems Director was connected too. This time...004342urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-a82980a9-30af-4657-a2da-54bbdcc974ebSystems Director - What Licences should I have?nagger100000MRSJactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2012-09-03T14:33:39-04:002012-09-03T14:33:39-04:00<div>I have long thought it is rather silly that IBM Systems Director can't give you a list the licenses that you should have! It does, after all, know what machines it is controlling and the data is in the database. Perhaps, that will come in the future. What can we do in the short term?<br /><br />Generally, I like to do everything from the graphical user interface (GUI) . I have not got time to learn and use both GUI and CLI.<br />The system configuration data can be extracted using the command line interface (CLI) on the Systems Director server, so I spent some time looking into it - but this is very much a work in progress. </div><div>It is the &quot;smcli lssys&quot; command that gives us most the information we want and more information on the command can be found here: <a href="http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/director/pubs/topic/com.ibm.director.cli.helps.doc/fqm0_r_cli_lssys.html">smcli lssys command manual page</a><u><br /><a href="http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/director/pubs/topic/com.ibm.director.cli.helps.doc/fqm0_r_cli_lssys.html"></a></u>* If you are using Firefox and get a blank page try IE or Chrome - there is still an irritating bug with Firefox cookies. We have tried to get this fixed - may be we get that for Systems Director version 10 !</div><div> </div><div>Lets get started by listing the HMC's that Systems Director knows about using the type option (-t):<br /><blockquote># smcli lssys -t HardwareManagementConsole<br />hmc10<br />hmc11<br />#<br /></blockquote></div><div><br /> </div><div> Then run inventory on one of them<br /></div><div><blockquote># smcli collectinv -p &quot;All Inventory&quot; hmc10<br />Inventory collection percentage 0%<br />Inventory collection percentage 68%<br />Inventory collection completed:<br />100%<br />#<br /></blockquote>Or we can list all the POWER machines that are managed by HMCs (oddly including the HMC's themselves):<br /><blockquote># smcli lssys -w ServerType=HMCManagedServer<br />bronze-8203-E4A-SN10E0A21<br />diamond-8233-E8B-SN100271P<br />gold-8203-SN10E0A11<br />hmc10<br />hmc11<br />indigo-8231-E1C-SN0659FDR<br />oldlace-65BD12E<br />orange-8203-E4A-SN10E0A51<br />peach-8233-E8B-SN100272P<br />pink-9115-505-SN65080EA<br />plum-8204-E8A-SN105C0B0<br />purple-9117-MMB-SN100525P<br />red-8203-E4A-SN10E0A41<br />silver-8203-SN10E0A31<br />#<br /></blockquote>These are the names as the appear on the HMC user interface - note I leave the machine model and type and serial numbers (which ate the default). So although these names contain useful data, you may have renamed the POWER machines and see just the name you gave them.</div><div> </div><div>Next a list of all the operating systems:<br /><blockquote># smcli lssys -t OperatingSystem<br />atomic1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />atssan3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />danishblue.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />diamond3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />diamond4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />diamond9.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />diamondvios1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />diamondvios2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold5.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold6.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />goldvios1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />grey6.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />greytube.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />... &lt;--skipping the other 100 end points<br />#<br /></blockquote></div><div>Note these are endpoint that have been found via the HMC but are <b>not necessarily ones that Systems Director has access too</b>. </div><div> </div><div>List the Virtual I/O Servers:</div><div><blockquote># smcli lssys -w &quot;OSTypeString='IBM VIOS'&quot;<br />indigovios1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purplevio2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />redvios1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />silvervios1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />#<br /></blockquote>Note the single quotes - needed as the String includes a space. <br /><br />These are just the VIOS endpoints that have run Inventory and so are managed. <b>Inventory was needed to work out this was a VIOS</b>.</div><div>If you have run Inventory on a VIOS then you are managing these POWER machines with Systems Director and need a license. <br /></div><div> </div><div>And the AIX operating Systems:</div><div><blockquote># smcli lssys -w &quot;OSTypeString=AIX&quot;<br />diamond3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />diamond4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold5.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold6.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purple2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purple4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purple7.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />red2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />red3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />red4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />#<br /></blockquote>Again these are controlled by Systems Director = need a license for the machine on which they are running.<br /></div><div>If you have IBM i or Linux on a partition then you can find out the OSTypeString by running </div><blockquote><div>smcli lssys -l &lt;FULL-HOSTNAME&gt; <br /></div></blockquote><div>This produced a listing of all the attributes for the endpoint - some interesting and some not. Here is an example for a AIX LPAR/VM/Virtual Server:</div><div><blockquote># smcli lssys -l purple4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purple4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com:<br /> DisplayName: purple4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br /> Description: null<br /> SystemBoardUUID: null<br /> CurrentTimeZone: 60<br /> IPv4Address: { '<b>9.137.62.134</b>' }<br /> HostName: { 'purple4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com' }<br /> AccessState: <b>Unlocked</b><br /> CommunicationState: 2<br /> OperatingState: null<br /> DisplayPingTime: 3<br /> DisplayOperationalStatusTime: 3<br /> SuspendEventActions: false<br /> MACAddress: { 'C67553F8162C' }<br /> OSType: 9<br /> OSVersion: <b>7.1</b><br /> OSTypeString: <b>AIX</b><br /> Manufacturer: <b>IBM</b><br /> MachineType: <b>9117</b><br /> Model: <b>MMB</b><br /> SerialNumber: <b>100525P</b><br /> VMID: 14<br /> Architecture: <b>ppc64</b><br /> ComputerName: null<br /> BuildNumber:<b> 7100-01-03-1207</b><br /> Protocols: { 'CAS', 'SSH' }<br /> URL: null<br /> ManagementSoftware: { 'IBM-IBM Director Agent-v6.3.0' }<br />#<br /></blockquote></div><div>I have highlighted the more interesting bits.<br /></div><div>Note that you can find out if it is AIX 6 or AIX 7 and the full release.</div><div> </div><div>To output this <b>BuildNumber </b>for every endpoint you can run: smcli lssys -A BuildNumber</div><div>But that outputs <b>Unsupported </b>for each endpoint that it can't access you could grep them out but you can also get lssys to do that with:<br /><blockquote># smcli lssys -w &quot;OSTypeString=AIX&quot; -A BuildNumber<br />diamond3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 6100-04-00-0000<br />diamond4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 6100-04-11-1140<br />gold2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-03-1207<br />gold3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-03-1207<br />gold4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-03-1207<br />gold5.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-03-1207<br />gold6.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-03-1207<br />purple2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-01-1141<br />purple4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-03-1207<br />purple7.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-03-1207<br />red2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-03-1207<br />red3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-04-1216<br />red4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com: 7100-01-03-1207<br /></blockquote><br /></div><div>I don't have ones running with ISD at the moment: <font color="#ff0000"><b>If you do can you let us know what the string is? </b></font></div><div><font color="#ff0000"><b>I would imaging &quot;IBM i&quot; or IBMi&quot; and &quot;Linux&quot; or Linux on POWER&quot; or &quot;PowerLinux&quot; or ...</b></font><br /></div><div> </div><div>If you run &quot;<b>smcli lssys -A AccessState</b>&quot; you get a boring long list of every endpoint and <b>Locked</b> if Systems Director has not access and <b>Unlocked </b>if it has access.</div><div>Also it is very hard to spot the difference between a Server (as in a POWER7 server) and a Virtual Server (what we call a Logical Partitions (LPAR)) as:<br /><blockquote>smcli lssys -t Server<br /></blockquote>lists both.</div><div> </div><div>For our License Needed script We are going to list machines that are POWER based, servers but not virtual and ones that are Unlocked ( we have access)<br /></div><div><blockquote> # smcli lssys -w &quot;Architecture=ppc64 AND Virtual=false&quot;<br />bronze-8203-E4A-SN10E0A21<br />brown-9115-505-SN6509E5A<br />diamond-8233-E8B-SN100271P<br />gold-8203-SN10E0A11<br />grey-9117-MMA-p570-8F<br />hmc10<br />hmc11<br />indigo-8231-E1C-SN0659FDR<br />oldlace-65BD12E<br />orange-8203-E4A-SN10E0A51<br />peach-8233-E8B-SN100272P<br />pink-9115-505-SN65080EA<br />plum-8204-E8A-SN105C0B0<br />purple-9117-MMB-SN100525P<br />red-8203-E4A-SN10E0A41<br />silver-8203-SN10E0A31<br />#<br /></blockquote>Shame we get the HMC - &quot;Such is life!&quot; If we add the <b>-t Server </b>option we don't get the HMC's<br /></div><div> </div><div>We want to output the Serial Number, Machine Type and Model - the -A options lets us select the output. We have <br /><blockquote># smcli lssys -t Server -w &quot;Architecture=ppc64 AND Virtual=false&quot; -A SerialNumber,MachineType,Model<br />bronze-8203-E4A-SN10E0A21: 10E0A21, 8203, E4A<br />brown-9115-505-SN6509E5A: 6509E5A, 9115, 505<br />diamond-8233-E8B-SN100271P: 100271P, 8233, E8B<br />gold-8203-SN10E0A11: 10E0A11, 8203, E4A<br />grey-9117-MMA-p570-8F: 101CD8F, 9117, MMA<br />indigo-8231-E1C-SN0659FDR: 0659FDR, 8231, E1C<br />oldlace-65BD12E: 65BD12E, 9111, 520<br />orange-8203-E4A-SN10E0A51: 10E0A51, 8203, E4A<br />peach-8233-E8B-SN100272P: 100272P, 8233, E8B<br />pink-9115-505-SN65080EA: 65080EA, 9115, 505<br />plum-8204-E8A-SN105C0B0: 105C0B0, 8204, E8A<br />purple-9117-MMB-SN100525P: 100525P, 9117, MMB<br />red-8203-E4A-SN10E0A41: 10E0A41, 8203, E4A<br />silver-8203-SN10E0A31: 10E0A31, 8203, E4A<br />#<br /></blockquote> But then we have a further issue - just because the HMC found the POWER machine does not mean Systems Director is controlling it. So I use a quick second command to determine if Systems Director knows what the endpoints are i.e. VIOS of AIX - this means Inventory has been completed and the Systems Director license is requited for the whole machine.</div><div> </div><div>So for every serial number we just discovered we list the AIX and VIOS LPARs/VM/Virtual Servers:<br /><br />Here is the working script version so far:</div><blockquote><div>smcli lssys -t Server -w &quot;Architecture=ppc64 AND Virtual=false&quot; -A SerialNumber,MachineType,Model -d ' ' | sed 's/://' |<br />while read A B C D E<br />do<br /> echo ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br /> echo $A $B $C-$D<br /> smcli lssys -w &quot;(OSTypeString=AIX OR OSTypeString='IBM VIOS') AND SerialNumber=$B&quot;<br />done</div></blockquote><div>The sed removed the semi column after the machine name. Sample output is like this:</div><div><blockquote>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />bronze-8203-E4A-SN10E0A21: 10E0A21 8203-E4A<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />brown-9115-505-SN6509E5A: 6509E5A 9115-505<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />diamond-8233-E8B-SN100271P: 100271P 8233-E8B<br />diamond3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />diamond4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />gold-8203-SN10E0A11: 10E0A11 8203-E4A<br />gold2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold5.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />gold6.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />grey-9117-MMA-p570-8F: 101CD8F 9117-MMA<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />indigo-8231-E1C-SN0659FDR: 0659FDR 8231-E1C<br />indigovios1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />oldlace-65BD12E: 65BD12E 9111-520<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />orange-8203-E4A-SN10E0A51: 10E0A51 8203-E4A<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />peach-8233-E8B-SN100272P: 100272P 8233-E8B<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />pink-9115-505-SN65080EA: 65080EA 9115-505<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />plum-8204-E8A-SN105C0B0: 105C0B0 8204-E8A<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />purple-9117-MMB-SN100525P: 100525P 9117-MMB<br />purple2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purple4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purple7.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purplevio2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />red-8203-E4A-SN10E0A41: 10E0A41 8203-E4A<br />red2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />red3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />red4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />redvios1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />silver-8203-SN10E0A31: 10E0A31 8203-E4A<br />silvervios1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br /></blockquote>Each machine that does have VIOS or AIX endpoint listed needs some sort of Systems Director license but machines with no VIOS or AIX don't - but remember to add IBM i or Linux if you have these running. <br /></div><div>The License cost depends on the:</div><ol><li>The machine category - This can be worked out from the Machine Type and Model<br /></li><ul><li>Small - Power Bade, Power 720 to Power 750</li><li>Medium - Power 770</li><li>Large - Power 780 and Power 795</li></ul><li>The number of active CPUs - Below we find this in the Systems Director database.</li><li>The Systems Director Edition (Express, Standard or Enterprise) and Plug-ins - Hmm! Tricky.<br /></li></ol><div>I have added a few extras below that also get the number of CPUs - unfortunately the format is in hundredths of CPU and it also reports the memory size in Megabytes plus if the AEM and VOControl Advanced Managers are Activated o not and finally the Systems Director version</div><blockquote><div>smcli lssys -t Server -w &quot;Architecture=ppc64 AND Virtual=false&quot; -A SerialNumber,MachineType,Model -d ' ' | sed 's/://' |<br />while read A B C D E<br />do<br /> echo ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br /> echo $A $B $C-$D<br /> smcli lsinv -n $A -e ResourcePool | grep Limit<br /> smcli lsinv -n $A -e EnergyManagementService | grep NominalCPUSpeed<br /> smcli lssys -w &quot;(OSTypeString=AIX OR OSTypeString='IBM VIOS') AND SerialNumber=$B&quot;<br />done<br />smcli lsmgrs<br />smcli lsver</div></blockquote><div> Sample output is like this</div><div><blockquote>++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />purple-9117-MMB-SN100525P 100525P 9117-MMB<br /> ResourcePool.Limit = 131072<br /> ResourcePool.Limit = 3200<br /> EnergyManagementService.NominalCPUSpeed = 3108<br />purple2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purple4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purple7.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />purplevio2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />red-8203-E4A-SN10E0A41 10E0A41 8203-E4A<br /> ResourcePool.Limit = 16384<br /> ResourcePool.Limit = 400<br /> EnergyManagementService.NominalCPUSpeed = 4204<br />red2.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />red3.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />red4.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />redvios1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br />++++++++++++++++++++++++++++<br />silver-8203-SN10E0A31 10E0A31 8203-E4A<br /> ResourcePool.Limit = 16384<br /> ResourcePool.Limit = 8192<br /> ResourcePool.Limit = 400<br /> EnergyManagementService.NominalCPUSpeed = 4204<br />silvervios1.aixncc.uk.ibm.com<br /># smcli lsmgrs<br />Active Energy Manager : Activated<br />VMControl : Activated<br /># smcli lsver<br />6.3.1<br /></blockquote> Notes:</div><div>* Purple has 132 GB of memory (131072) and 32 CPUs (3200)<br />* Silver has three ResourcePool.Limit - The extra one is the Shared Memory Pool size.</div><div>* Only the AME and VMControl are listed by lsmgrs - I think this is because these are the ones supplied now with the default base Systems Director and are activated or not. The others are just installed when you are ready.</div><div>* Excellent to have a command to check the ISD version. <br /></div><div> </div><div><b>I hope this helps you check your Systems Director Licenses and starts you off using the CLI.</b><br /><br />If you need to discover dozens of machine then the discover command is a boon. Three simple examples will start you off scripting the whole thing via hostname, IP address and an IP address range:<br /><ul><li>smcli discover -H mybox.acme.com</li><li>smcli discover -i 10.10.0.42</li><li>smcli discover -i 10.10.0.2-10.10.0.200 </li></ul></div>
I have long thought it is rather silly that IBM Systems Director can't give you a list the licenses that you should have! It does, after all, know what machines it is controlling and the data is in the database. Perhaps, that will come in the future. What...005267urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-cef1f69b-3348-4491-b35c-ef591a45322bWhat System Firmware is recommend for Power 770, 780, 795 and why?nagger100000MRSJactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2012-01-26T12:05:47-05:002012-01-26T12:05:47-05:00<div>As we all know, the <b>advanced PowerVM virtualisation functions of POWER7 based machines are implemented in the hardware</b> (the POWER7 processor itself and the System Firmware, which includes PowerVM Hypervisor) for increased security, high performance and reliability. After more than a year of POWER7 field experience and fixes to increase RAS, further development of still more virtualisation functions and improved algorithms for higher performance - it is very important for all of us to install the newer levels of System firmware to avoid already fixed problems and improved performance - partilcuarly on larger machines. With the firmware, we also need to update the Hardware Management Console (HMC) to give us access to the features (i.e. turn them on). <br /><br />The IBM Client Care team are pushing out High Impact Advisory emails to let people know the minimum levels that are recommended for Power 770, Power 780 and Power 795 machines. If you have one of these machine but no email then you are probably not on the Subscription Service - &quot;tut tut&quot; - you should be unless you like sitting in the dark and like getting hit by completely avoidable problems!<br /><br />Here is the link to the Client Care website and the System Firmware News for Power machines: <br /><ul><li><font color="#0000cd"><b><a href="http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/power5cm/power7.html">Power code matrix - Latest release levels to support latest features and function Firmware and HMC</a></b></font></li></ul> </div><div>Take the Top Right <b>Subscription Service</b> link to sign up to be told of Important Firmware News. </div><div></div><div> </div><div>At the moment (and this will be out of date by the time I hit &quot;Post to blog&quot;) your machines should be at a recommended:<br /><ul><li>Power 770 9117-MMB at System Firmware <font color="#8b4513"><b>AM730_066</b></font></li><li>Power 780 9179-MMB at System Firmware <font color="#8b4513"><b>AM730_066</b></font></li><li>Power 795 9119-FHB at System Firmware <font color="#008000"><b>AH730_066</b></font></li><li><font color="#008000"><font color="#000000">Matching HMC is <b>V7R7.3.0 SP2 MH01279</b> (What a mouthful! - we call this 7.7.3 plus the latest bits) <br /></font></font></li><ul><li> <font color="#008000"><font color="#000000">We had machines going off-line (HMC recovery mode - 3 clicks to fix but annoying) with SP1 and it was fixed with the SP2</font></font></li></ul><li><font color="#008000"><font color="#000000">If you can't take the outage (we need to talk about Live Partition Mobility) and are on System Firmware 720_xxx take the concurrent update to 720_108<br /></font></font></li></ul></div><div>If you have one of what is called the &quot;C models&quot; that arrived in October 2011:<br /><ul><li>Power 770 9117-MMC at System Firmware <font color="#8b008b"><b>AM740_045</b></font></li><li>Power 780 9179-MMC at System Firmware <font color="#8b008b"><b>AM740_045 <br /></b></font></li><li><font color="#008000"><font color="#000000">Matching HMC is <b>V7 R7.4.0 SP1 MH01297</b></font></font></li></ul></div><div>Also note for planning purposes the developers tell us they are targeting new firmware releases End of January to 740 and End of February for 730.<br /><br /><div align="left"><font color="#ff0000"><b>* * * Bluntness Alert On * * *</b></font></div><div><hr size="2" width="100%" />When I get sent reports of a customer with one of these large machines needing help, the very first question is &quot;What Systems Firmware level are they running?&quot; and to be blunt I getting a little annoyed if the firmware is a long way back level - IBM may have fixed the issue 18 months ago! It is very hard to be sympathetic. <br /></div><ul><li>It is like blaming your car manufacture for the brakes failing and you hitting a tree but you then have to admit that have not had the car serviced for 2 years! In this case, do you deserve the crash? or was it bad luck?<br /></li></ul>I know updating firmware is boring, takes a lot time and becomes low priority
... <b>until you hit a problem</b> then we are into
upgrading in an emergency, which is really painful. Machine evacuation for simpler less painful System Firmware upgrades can be helped by using: HACMP now called PowerVM System Mirror, Live Partition Mobility (LPM) and Systems Director VMControl System Pools (which uses LPM). Every one should be implementing these as a matter of urgency - IMHO.<br /><hr size="2" width="100%" /><font color="#ff0000"><b>* * * Bluntness Alert Off * * *</b></font><br /><br />The other key component of PowerVM virtualisation is the <b>Virtual I/O Server</b><br /><ul><li>Which I am sure everyone has already upgraded to 2.2.1.3 by now! </li></ul>I will save nagging you about VIOS levels for another blog and another day. <br />Perhaps, once I have my Shared Storage Pools phase 2 movies ready for download from http://tinyurl.com/AIXmovies - as that requires this latest VIOS version.<br /></div><div> </div><div>My Power 770 and Power 795 are up to date but that is a little unfair as they are not production machines, I hope your machines will be up to date soon, thanks for listening, Nigel Griffiths <br /></div>
As we all know, the advanced PowerVM virtualisation functions of POWER7 based machines are implemented in the hardware (the POWER7 processor itself and the System Firmware, which includes PowerVM Hypervisor) for increased security, high performance and...0114665urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-a25e51ef-32fd-4512-97b7-808d4e896300Systems Director - Can't get your HMC recognised ?nagger100000MRSJactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2011-07-20T08:38:13-04:002011-07-20T08:38:13-04:00So you have Discovered, given Access and run Inventory on your HMC and it is not finding the Servers and Virtual Servers that the HMC is connected too! What do you do next?<br /><br />Well here are a series of suggestions for you to try (this is not an official diagnostics path but might help you out):<br /><br /><b>How much memory has your HMC got?</b><br /><ul><li>I get people trying to use old HMCs and the original ones had just 1 GB of memory.</li><li>This is basically not enough these days - in my humble opinion - unless you have just one machine!</li><li>But how do you find out what you have?</li><li>Opening the HMC to take the RAM out seems so old fashioned!</li><li>So ssh to the HMC (I use putty) log on as hscroot (or equivalent) and run: cat /proc/meminfo</li><li>The top line is memory size.</li><li>If its 1 GB then you may struggle to run the Systems Director agents.</li><li>You might try rebooting your HMC to flush out memory use and free up some memory.</li><li>You can upgrade some HMC with more memory but basically ... good luck!</li></ul><br /><b>Have you got a recent HMC software level?</b><br /><ul><li>Log on to the HMC and on the Welcome screen - it should tell you the software level.</li><li>Anything below 7.7.2 is &quot;in my opinion&quot; ancient history. OK, you may have Power5 and it has long been stable but running without all the fixes and newer function seems silly to me and you don't get my sympathy when it eventually breaks. You do regular maintenance on your car ... don't you!<br /></li><li>Upgrade to at least 7.2.2 or better yet 7.7.3 (at the time of writing = summer of 2011) but do check your pre-reqs like systems firmware levels.</li><li>Some old HMC software levels had a Systems Director memory leak - we are taking a few years ago. This would later knock the HMC off the network and require a hard reboot in person - just don't go there!</li><li>You really don't want to be running out of date HMC that is like running a new car on bicycle tyres.<br /></li><li>And if there are HMC fixes for your new HMC level - install them too. They are there for a reason.</li></ul><br /><b>Now to the Systems Director side - Have you got the latest version?</b><br /><ul><li>On the Welcome + Manage screen, the top item is the &quot;IBM Systems Director Server&quot; version.</li><li>While diagnosing a friend's set-up he thought 6.2.1 was good enough. I said &quot;Oh no, my friend, not true.&quot;</li><li>I am running 6.2.1.2 - it does not sound like much of a difference but that is two rounds and 9 months of bug fixes.</li><li>That is a major difference. Only a fool runs out of date systems management software.</li><li>Always run the latest Systems Director version once it has been out for 2 weeks (just a sanity check) - I upgrade on the day I notice a new release is available and it has not failed me.</li><li>How to do this? Click &quot;Update IBM® Systems Director&quot; on the same screen - &quot;simple&quot;. </li><li>This checks immediately over the Internet, if there is a new version and from there you can update Systems Director - it updates itself.</li><li>Don't expect this to be quick - it is often a large download followed by an update (to set expectations I will just use the Java word). Also some parts are updated when its restarted as it can't be done live.</li><li>Then restart Systems Director as root on its server: smstop; smstart, smstatus -r and go for lunch. On your return, you will see &quot;Active&quot; on the command line screen.</li><li>If you have not got direct Internet access you will have to follow the Redbook/manuals about downloading by hand, transferring the images and updating Systems Director on the command line (I have never needed to do this, so good luck).</li></ul><br /><font color="#0000ff"><b>I will not insult you with questions like: Can you ping in both directions!</b></font><br /><br /><b>Does Systems Director know it is a HMC or not?</b><br /><ul><li>With Systems Director take Navigate + All Systems then search for the HMC by name. </li><li>It should have two entries.</li><li>One with a Type of Hardware Management Console and One as the Operating System.</li><li>If the HMC one is missing (typically it might just say Server) then System Director found the endpoint but did not work out it was a HMC.</li><li>It is worth just trying from the top to connect the HMC again.</li><li>Right click on the endpoint then select Delete and confirm the OK.</li><li>Do this for the second endpoint.</li><li>Then go back to find the HMC again with Discover, Access and Inventory.</li></ul><br /><b>Has Systems Director used the right protocols for &quot;talking&quot; to the HMC?</b><br /><ul><li>Navigate to the HMC endpoint then right click and select Security then Configure Access.</li><li>It should show a few lines of output further down under &quot;your HMC hostname (Remote Service Access Point) - see the below example.<br /></li><li>The Access Type &quot;CIM&quot; line should be green and &quot;OK&quot;</li><li>They may also be Access Type SSH and SLP lines and I have never got a straight answer about if they are vital or necessary or just nice to have.</li><li>Mine say &quot;offline&quot; and &quot;unknown&quot; but my HMC apparently works OK - I guessSystems Director talk to the CIM to do all the bulk of the real work.</li><li>Perhaps, there are specific actions that need these services - I have not found one yet.</li></ul><br /><b>What about firewalls and ports?</b><br /><ul><li>In the Configure Access Tab (see above on getting there) you should see on the CIM line the port it uses.</li><li>The default is 5989 for CIM to the HMC - good luck if you have to change ports, I read up on it and it sounds a nightmare!</li><li>So, is that port possible between the Systems Director server and the HMC on your network?</li><li>That one is tricky. You can ask your network administrator - if bright they should know the answer.</li><li>I tried a quick and messy approach from the Systems Director server I ran: tn hmc.mydomain.com 5989</li><li>For a valid port telnet (tn) connects and then gets stuck but outputs &quot;Trying... Connected to hmc.mydomain.com. Escape character is '^T'. &quot;</li><ul><li>I think this means the network socket connects but then stops as we are not talking the write protocol.<br /></li></ul><li>For an invalid port, I get just &quot;Trying...&quot;</li><ul><li>I think this means it fails to get the network socket open</li></ul><li>I did say quick and messy :-)</li></ul><br /><b>What to do if you have a firewall issue?</b><br /><ul><li>Get it fixed, of course - sorry without network connection on this vital port in particular, you are not going to get far.</li><li>But while you are talking to you network administrator, review the other network ports needed.</li><li>For Systems Director endpoints they are documented here http://tinyurl.com/SDports </li></ul><br /><br /><b>OK, so now you have</b>:<br /><ol><li>Enough memory on the HMC</li><li>A recent HMC level installed</li><li>Latest Systems Director server version and its restarted</li><li>The firewall fixed</li></ol>Try the HMC connection from the top<br /><ul><li>Delete the two HMC endpoints </li><li>Probably overkill but if you are the only user, restart Systems Director to make sure the old HMC details are not cached<br /></li><li>Now Discover </li><li>Gain Access </li><li>Run Inventory </li><li>Then you will find the Servers and Virtual Server that the HMC knows about will appear in the Navigate panels.</li></ul><br /><b>Notes</b>:<br /><ul><li>The Inventory of the HMC assuming it has a handful of machine connected is surprisingly quick - it talks just a few seconds, don't go assuming (like me) that if failed.</li><li>The found machines (Servers) and LPARs (Virtual Servers) can have odd-ish names. Some times they are named as found on the HMC but other times by the box Serial Number of the machine and the Virtual Servers are the same but with a single digit added to the end which is the LPAR ID number. So you may have to hunt for them. <br /></li><li>Fortunately, Systems Director allows you to rename endpoints to be more meaningful. I would make the HMC and Systems Director names the same or similar you you can drive yourself nuts or make mistakes!</li><li>Most of the above also applies to the SDMC too.</li></ul><br />These are a few screen shots of my Systems Directors view of a HMC - it may not be perfect but at least it shows you what a working HMC looks like.<br /><br /><b>HMC Version</b> 7.7.3 (Not to be confused with 7.3.x) or some guys like to write V7R7.3 but UNIX guys don't do that much typing :-)<br /><br /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/HMCc.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/HMCc.gif" style="display: block; margin: 0pt auto; text-align: center; position: relative;" /></a> <br /><b>HMC Memory Size</b> = 4129152 KB = ~ 4 GB<br /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/HMCd.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/HMCd.gif" style="display: block; margin: 0pt auto; text-align: center; position: relative;" /></a> <br /><b>Systems Director version </b>(current for summer of 2011)<br /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/SDversion.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/SDversion.gif" style="display: block; margin: 0pt auto; text-align: center; position: relative;" /></a> <br /><b>Systems Director Navigate and search for you HMC endpoints</b><br /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/HMCa.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/HMCa.gif" style="display: block; margin: 0pt auto; text-align: center; position: relative;" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><b>Systems Director Security + Configure Access</b><br /><a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/HMCb.gif" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/HMCb.gif" style="display: block; margin: 0pt auto; text-align: center; position: relative;" /></a> <br />I hope this helps, thanks, Nigel Griffiths<br />So you have Discovered, given Access and run Inventory on your HMC and it is not finding the Servers and Virtual Servers that the HMC is connected too! What do you do next? Well here are a series of suggestions for you to try (this is not an official...0110336urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-a335d575-2c02-47ea-8a02-99ddafb15f2eWhich browser & version for HMC and Systems Director?nagger100000MRSJactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2011-07-01T13:54:51-04:002011-07-01T13:54:51-04:00For<b> Systems Director 6.2</b> supports <br /><ul><li>Firefox 3.6, 3.5 and 3.0 - you have to be nuts to not be using 3.6 IMHO!</li><li>Internet Explorer 7 or 8.</li><li>See <font color="#ff0000">http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/director/v6r2x/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.director.plan.helps.doc/fqm0_r_supported_web_browsers.html</font></li><li>Unofficially, I find Google Chrome 12 works fine too.<br /></li></ul>For <b>Hardware Management Console (HMC)</b> (I am assuming a recent HMC V7R7.3 level here) it supports (from the Power7 manuals) <br /><ul><li>Internet Explorer 7 but says<b> IE 8 is not supported</b> - just tried this and the left hand menu got missing!</li><li>Firefox 1.5.0.7 - <b>What are they bonkers that is years out of date!</b></li><li>See <font color="#ff0000">http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/index.jsp?topic=/p7ha1/webbrowserrequirements.htm</font><br /></li></ul>The Systems Director levels seem reasonable with Firefox 3.6 being my favourite but the HMC levels only show that the documentation is years out of date. Again I find Firefox 3.6 works well with my HMC's.<br /><br /><b>But what about newer versions of the browsers?</b><br />But I have lots of questions with Firefox 4 and even the Firefox 5 beta - I do not recommend them. Firefox 4 has issues and theses have been reported to the Firefox developers though their Forum as requested. We also have Internet Explorer 9 available.<br /><br />So my question is:<b> <br /></b><ul><li><b>If you are successfully using newer browser versions - what are they and for HMC or Systems Director or both?</b></li><li><b>Answers in the comment section please.</b></li></ul>For Systems Director 6.2 supports Firefox 3.6, 3.5 and 3.0 - you have to be nuts to not be using 3.6 IMHO! Internet Explorer 7 or 8. See http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/director/v6r2x/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.director.plan.helps.doc/fqm0_r_supported_w...009137urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-8cc09e30-78d3-498e-81f6-8aa9ca0b30bbSystems Director Management Console (SDMC) Redbook - get yours nownagger100000MRSJactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2011-04-13T11:32:45-04:002011-04-13T11:32:45-04:00<a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/SDMC_redbook_cover.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="image" src="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/mydeveloperworks/blogs/aixpert/resource/BLOGS_UPLOADED_IMAGES/SDMC_redbook_cover.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 1em 1em 0pt 0pt; float: left; position: relative;" /></a> <br />The SDMC Redbook is available now - actually on the announcement date - so some one was planning ahead!<br /><br />IBM <font color="#0000cd"><b>Systems Director Management Console: Introduction and Overview</b></font>, SG24-7860-00 <br />http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247860.html<br />6.9 MB and 430 pagesThe SDMC Redbook is available now - actually on the announcement date - so some one was planning ahead! IBM Systems Director Management Console: Introduction and Overview , SG24-7860-00 http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247860.html 6.9 MB and 430 pages0413275urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-5573f380-ae3c-4730-8cb1-c35a12c5147eSystems Director 6.2 is Saving Me Time on AIX/POWER - check out how!nagger100000MRSJactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2010-09-03T07:13:16-04:002010-09-03T07:29:17-04:00OK, this is &quot;blowing my own trumpet&quot; a little but I just finished a 12 minute movie on the best bits of Systems Director. Best in the sense that they &quot;save me a lot of time&quot; and you might like to take a look to see if they can help you too. As I run lots of POWER based machines and lots of copies of AIX, this is why it is very relevant to this AIXpert Blog. The 8 areas are:<br /><ol><li>One Hour Install, </li><li>Update Manager - HMC, Firmware &amp; AIX in four mouse clicks, <br /></li><li>Whole
Machine Performance View, </li><li>LPAR direct to HMC, </li><li>Active Energy save
cash &amp; over-clocking, </li><li>VMControl - Capture/Deploy, </li><li>WPAR &amp;
Versioned WPARs and </li><li>Automation Even/Action Plans.</li></ol>Find the movie here: <a href="https://www.ibm.com/developerworks/wikis/display/WikiPtype/Movies#Movies-Dir6savetime">Systems Director 6.2 Saves Me Time</a><br />The biggest time saver is 2 but 8 is very difficult to judge the time saved as it does stuff for me without asking!<br />Which features do you like best?<br />
OK, this is &quot;blowing my own trumpet&quot; a little but I just finished a 12 minute movie on the best bits of Systems Director. Best in the sense that they &quot;save me a lot of time&quot; and you might like to take a look to see if they can help you too....007238urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-9d78a4cd-e8b1-4b91-aa12-834f6f263206Remote Access Control for New Users on HMC 7.3.3.0.1sbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2008-06-28T00:27:37-04:002008-06-28T00:28:54-04:00As of Service Pack 1 of HMC V7R3.3, there's a new access control that must be considered when creating new users. By default, remote access is not allowed, even if in general you've already allowed remote users.<br/><br/>The box to check if you want to allow remote access is found under User Properties in the task used to create or modify a user's account. When creating a user account, remember to click on User Properties at the bottom of the task menu. In the lower left corner of the menu that comes up next you'll find a check box that says Allow Remote Access via the Web. By default, it's unchecked, so be sure to change the value if this user will access the HMC over the web.<br/><br/>There are some other settings you can select on this same menu: session timeout minutes (default 0), verify timeout minutes (default 15), idle timeout minutes (default 0), and minimum time in minutes between password changes (default 0). You can also select an option to disable the account for inactivity in a certain number of days (default 0), or never disable for inactivity.As of Service Pack 1 of HMC V7R3.3, there's a new access control that must be considered when creating new users. By default, remote access is not allowed, even if in general you've already allowed remote users.<br/><br/>The box to check if you want to allow remote access is found under User Properties in the task used to create or modify a user's account. When creating a user account, remember to click on User Properties at the bottom of the task menu. In the lower left corner of the menu that comes up next you'll find a check box that says Allow Remote Access via the Web. By default, it's unchecked, so be sure to change the value if this user will access the HMC over the web.<br/><br/>There are some other settings you can select on this same menu: session timeout minutes (default 0), verify timeout minutes (default 15), idle timeout minutes (default 0), and minimum time in minutes between password changes (default 0). You can also select an option to disable the account for inactivity in a certain number of days (default 0), or never disable for inactivity.As of Service Pack 1 of HMC V7R3.3, there's a new access control that must be considered when creating new users. By default, remote access is not allowed, even if in general you've already allowed remote users. The box to check if you want to allow remote...0412493urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-e0876b6b-4334-4ef3-b9e4-bfc512aa85eeHMC Version 7 and Your Browser of Choicesbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2008-03-21T16:23:03-04:002008-03-21T16:23:03-04:00The documentation for HMC Version 7 says that the web browsers supported are Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 and later, as well as Firefox 1.5.0.6 and later. While many users have no trouble with Internet Explorer 7.0, others have reported problems. What makes the difference? Sometimes its Java code, and sometimes its the browser settings. <br/><br/>For example, a customer recently reported trouble with IE 7 after he updated Java to jre 1.6.0_05 from jre 1.6.0_03. Previously, IE 7 had worked fine. <br/><br/>IBM support usually will make a best-effort attempt to resolve your browser compatibility problems. But in the case above, the problem wasn't the HMC code or even IE 7 itself, since it had worked with an earlier level of Java. By being conservative in upgrading browser and Java code, you may avoid slipping into an unsupported condition.<br/><br/>What are the requirements for browser support?<br/><br/>1. HTML 2.0, JavaScript 1.0, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), and support for cookies. (If necessary, contact support personnel to see if your browser is configured for a Java Virtual Machine.)<br/><br/>2. The browser must use HTTP 1.1 protocol; if a proxy server is used, HTTP 1.1 must be enabled for the proxy server. (In Internet Explorer, see the Advanced tab under Internet Options)<br/><br/>3. For Firefox 2.0, make sure the JavaScript option to raise or lower windows and move or resize existing windows is enabled. To enable this option, go to the Content tab in the browser’s Options dialog, click Advanced... next to the Enable JavaScript option, then select Raise or lower windows and Move or resize existing windows options, then click OK to enable. These features allow you to switch easily between HMC tasks and to resize the task window.<br/><br/><br/><br/>The documentation for HMC Version 7 says that the web browsers supported are Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 and later, as well as Firefox 1.5.0.6 and later. While many users have no trouble with Internet Explorer 7.0, others have reported problems. What makes the difference? Sometimes its Java code, and sometimes its the browser settings. <br/><br/>For example, a customer recently reported trouble with IE 7 after he updated Java to jre 1.6.0_05 from jre 1.6.0_03. Previously, IE 7 had worked fine. <br/><br/>IBM support usually will make a best-effort attempt to resolve your browser compatibility problems. But in the case above, the problem wasn't the HMC code or even IE 7 itself, since it had worked with an earlier level of Java. By being conservative in upgrading browser and Java code, you may avoid slipping into an unsupported condition.<br/><br/>What are the requirements for browser support?<br/><br/>1. HTML 2.0, JavaScript 1.0, Java Virtual Machine (JVM), and support for cookies. (If necessary, contact support personnel to see if your browser is configured for a Java Virtual Machine.)<br/><br/>2. The browser must use HTTP 1.1 protocol; if a proxy server is used, HTTP 1.1 must be enabled for the proxy server. (In Internet Explorer, see the Advanced tab under Internet Options)<br/><br/>3. For Firefox 2.0, make sure the JavaScript option to raise or lower windows and move or resize existing windows is enabled. To enable this option, go to the Content tab in the browser’s Options dialog, click Advanced... next to the Enable JavaScript option, then select Raise or lower windows and Move or resize existing windows options, then click OK to enable. These features allow you to switch easily between HMC tasks and to resize the task window.<br/><br/><br/><br/>The documentation for HMC Version 7 says that the web browsers supported are Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 and later, as well as Firefox 1.5.0.6 and later. While many users have no trouble with Internet Explorer 7.0, others have reported problems. What...0219313urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-2ef75398-8f87-4a63-8c4d-9362dca0b06fOrdering the Correct HMC Modelsbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2008-01-21T17:33:37-05:002008-01-21T17:33:37-05:00Be sure you order the correct Hardware Management Console to match the code you plan to run.<br/><br/>The 7042 machine type is for HMCs running Version 7. This Licensed Internal Code is a requirement for managing POWER6 servers, such as the 9117-MMA. However, it will also support POWER5 and POWER5+ managed servers.<br/><br/>The 7310 machine type is for HMCs running Version 6. You cannot manage a POWER6 server using this HMC code. It is for POWER5 and POWER5+ managed servers only.<br/><br/>Many 7310 HMCs can be upgraded in the field to support HMC V7 Release 3 code. However, the reverse is not true. IBM does not support changing a 7042 HMC to support HMC V6 Licensed Internal Code. Attempting to load HMC V6 LIC on a 7042 will produce an error message and the installation will be blocked.<br/><br/>In current models, the only difference between the two machines is a feature code that specifies which code to install. The hardware is identical. Feature code #0961 drives shipment of HMC Version 6 with the HMC. Feature code #0962 drives shipment of HMC Version 7.<br/><br/>To avoid delays, be sure you know which HMC code environment you want before ordering your HMC.Be sure you order the correct Hardware Management Console to match the code you plan to run.<br/><br/>The 7042 machine type is for HMCs running Version 7. This Licensed Internal Code is a requirement for managing POWER6 servers, such as the 9117-MMA. However, it will also support POWER5 and POWER5+ managed servers.<br/><br/>The 7310 machine type is for HMCs running Version 6. You cannot manage a POWER6 server using this HMC code. It is for POWER5 and POWER5+ managed servers only.<br/><br/>Many 7310 HMCs can be upgraded in the field to support HMC V7 Release 3 code. However, the reverse is not true. IBM does not support changing a 7042 HMC to support HMC V6 Licensed Internal Code. Attempting to load HMC V6 LIC on a 7042 will produce an error message and the installation will be blocked.<br/><br/>In current models, the only difference between the two machines is a feature code that specifies which code to install. The hardware is identical. Feature code #0961 drives shipment of HMC Version 6 with the HMC. Feature code #0962 drives shipment of HMC Version 7.<br/><br/>To avoid delays, be sure you know which HMC code environment you want before ordering your HMC.Be sure you order the correct Hardware Management Console to match the code you plan to run. The 7042 machine type is for HMCs running Version 7. This Licensed Internal Code is a requirement for managing POWER6 servers, such as the 9117-MMA. However, it will...015146urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-012ff472-6a67-4006-8b04-2a32835fa9bfWorkaround If Auto Negotiation Failssbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2007-07-19T13:48:51-04:002008-01-24T16:56:17-05:00Performance concerns on the Hardware Management Console sometimes point to a misconfiguration of the network adapters.<br/><br/>In most cases, configuring eth0 and eth1 as either private or open networks using auto negotiation results in no problems whatsoever. But on occasion, the ability of the Ethernet card to correctly negotiate full duplex with a particular switch or router appears to fail and the adapter comes up in half duplex mode. If the switch really is configured for full duplex, the switch may be reporting a problem (or it may go unnoticed) and network traffic on the HMC will slow. Obviously, this can have negative consequences for the performance of the HMC.<br/><br/>A workaround for this problem is to manually turn off auto negotiation on the adapter and set it to full duplex. The ethtool command on the HMC can be used to execute this two-step workaround. However, the command can only be issued by root. This means the administrator will need to bypass the restricted shell:<br/><br/>1. Login to the HMC command line interface using the hscpe userid and password<br/><br/>2. Obtain the serial number of the HMC using the lshmc -v command (look in the SE field) <br/><br/>3. Call the IBM Hardware Held Desk and provide the HMC serial number in order to obtain a temporary pesh (Product Engineering Shell) password<br/><br/>4. Logged in as hscpe, enter the command pesh <serial number><br/><br/>5. When prompted, enter the pesh password suppled by the Help Desk<br/><br/>6. Enter the command, su -<br/><br/>7. Enter the root password when prompted<br/><br/>Once you are logged in as root, you can use the following ethtool command.<br/><br/>1. Enter ethtool ethN for the adapter (N) you want to look at, and you'll see it's present settings<br/><br/>2. Turn off auto negotiation by issuing the command ethtool -s ethN autoneg off<br/><br/>3. Manually set the adapter to full duplex with ethtool -s ethN duplex full<br/><br/>4. Check your work with ethtool ethN<br/><br/>5. DO NOT reboot the HMC.<br/><br/>The setting will be changed to full duplex until the next reboot, at which time the default settings (e.g., auto negotiation) will be restored and the problem may resurface, requiring you to repeat the process. <br/><br/>It's important to note that this does not occur uniformly across the board with all switches or routers. Therefore, this workaround may not be needed. But you should be aware of this workaround, and that this problem is under active investigation by IBM.Performance concerns on the Hardware Management Console sometimes point to a misconfiguration of the network adapters.<br/><br/>In most cases, configuring eth0 and eth1 as either private or open networks using auto negotiation results in no problems whatsoever. But on occasion, the ability of the Ethernet card to correctly negotiate full duplex with a particular switch or router appears to fail and the adapter comes up in half duplex mode. If the switch really is configured for full duplex, the switch may be reporting a problem (or it may go unnoticed) and network traffic on the HMC will slow. Obviously, this can have negative consequences for the performance of the HMC.<br/><br/>A workaround for this problem is to manually turn off auto negotiation on the adapter and set it to full duplex. The ethtool command on the HMC can be used to execute this two-step workaround. However, the command can only be issued by root. This means the administrator will need to bypass the restricted shell:<br/><br/>1. Login to the HMC command line interface using the hscpe userid and password<br/><br/>2. Obtain the serial number of the HMC using the lshmc -v command (look in the SE field) <br/><br/>3. Call the IBM Hardware Held Desk and provide the HMC serial number in order to obtain a temporary pesh (Product Engineering Shell) password<br/><br/>4. Logged in as hscpe, enter the command pesh <serial number><br/><br/>5. When prompted, enter the pesh password suppled by the Help Desk<br/><br/>6. Enter the command, su -<br/><br/>7. Enter the root password when prompted<br/><br/>Once you are logged in as root, you can use the following ethtool command.<br/><br/>1. Enter ethtool ethN for the adapter (N) you want to look at, and you'll see it's present settings<br/><br/>2. Turn off auto negotiation by issuing the command ethtool -s ethN autoneg off<br/><br/>3. Manually set the adapter to full duplex with ethtool -s ethN duplex full<br/><br/>4. Check your work with ethtool ethN<br/><br/>5. DO NOT reboot the HMC.<br/><br/>The setting will be changed to full duplex until the next reboot, at which time the default settings (e.g., auto negotiation) will be restored and the problem may resurface, requiring you to repeat the process. <br/><br/>It's important to note that this does not occur uniformly across the board with all switches or routers. Therefore, this workaround may not be needed. But you should be aware of this workaround, and that this problem is under active investigation by IBM.Performance concerns on the Hardware Management Console sometimes point to a misconfiguration of the network adapters. In most cases, configuring eth0 and eth1 as either private or open networks using auto negotiation results in no problems whatsoever. But on...027532urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-cf1526eb-cd51-4831-b8b6-c2cd8adeabdfNo 25-foot Rule for 7042 HMCsbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2007-06-08T17:00:34-04:002007-06-08T17:00:34-04:00Unlike its predecessors, the 7042 Hardware Management Console for a POWER6 server does not have to be within 25 feet of the managed system. However, there may be practical reasons why it will continue to be close to the machines it manages. <br/><br/>The purpose behind the distance limitation was to facilitate work by an IBM Service Support Representative. One of the HMC's functions is to serve as a repository of service information and tools. Some service utilities, such as the ability to blink lights on and off to identify adapters, would be difficult if the HMC and the server were too far apart.<br/><br/>Now, the requirement is to have a browser interface within 25 feet of the managed server. <br/><br/>But there are some practical reasons why the HMCs may continue to be close to their managed systems. HMCs that are configured to provide DHCP service over private networks will most likely be close to their clients because of networking requirements. All high-end servers with Bulk Power Controllers require DHCP, so it is probable nothing will change in that environment. However, a 7042 could manage a remote server that uses manual IP assignment. The 7310 HMCs that manage POWER5 and POWER5+ servers with the Web-based System Manager will continue to have the 25-foot distance limitation.Unlike its predecessors, the 7042 Hardware Management Console for a POWER6 server does not have to be within 25 feet of the managed system. However, there may be practical reasons why it will continue to be close to the machines it manages. <br/><br/>The purpose behind the distance limitation was to facilitate work by an IBM Service Support Representative. One of the HMC's functions is to serve as a repository of service information and tools. Some service utilities, such as the ability to blink lights on and off to identify adapters, would be difficult if the HMC and the server were too far apart.<br/><br/>Now, the requirement is to have a browser interface within 25 feet of the managed server. <br/><br/>But there are some practical reasons why the HMCs may continue to be close to their managed systems. HMCs that are configured to provide DHCP service over private networks will most likely be close to their clients because of networking requirements. All high-end servers with Bulk Power Controllers require DHCP, so it is probable nothing will change in that environment. However, a 7042 could manage a remote server that uses manual IP assignment. The 7310 HMCs that manage POWER5 and POWER5+ servers with the Web-based System Manager will continue to have the 25-foot distance limitation.Unlike its predecessors, the 7042 Hardware Management Console for a POWER6 server does not have to be within 25 feet of the managed system. However, there may be practical reasons why it will continue to be close to the machines it manages. The purpose...003478urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-56a469fb-1df6-4ae5-a2a8-6ce7136c0856New HMC Interface Availablesbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2007-06-08T16:07:29-04:002007-06-08T17:59:19-04:00A new version of Hardware Management Console code with a browser-based graphical user interface is now available. HMC Version 7 Release 3.1.0 is required to support the recently announced 9117-MMA IBM System p 570, the first POWER6 server to be introduced. This code can also support POWER5 and POWER5+ managed servers, although HMC V6R1.2 with its Web-based System Manager interface continues to be available. (POWER4 managed servers are supported by HMCs running HMC V3R3.7.)<br/><br/>The support notice on HMC V7R3.1.0 can be found at this web page:<br/><br/><a href="https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html">https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html</a><br/><br/>There's a link from that page to a document that provides tips for using the new interface. The new screens are intended to make management more intuitive. <br/><br/>Until third quarter 2007, English is the only language in which messages will be displayed in the new HMC code. <br/><br/>There may be some confusion over how new HMCs are designated. We have, for example, a 7042-C06 and a 7310-C06. The former will be shipped with HMC V7 code (Feature Code #0962), and the latter will default to HMC V6R1.2 (Feature Code #0961). A 7310 HMC can be ordered new or upgraded to HMC V7 with Feature Code #0962. From a hardware point of view, the machines are identical. Likewise, a 7042-CR4 and 7310-CR4 are the same rack-mounted HMC hardware loaded with HMC V7 and HMC V6.1.2, respectively.<br/><br/> <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>A new version of Hardware Management Console code with a browser-based graphical user interface is now available. HMC Version 7 Release 3.1.0 is required to support the recently announced 9117-MMA IBM System p 570, the first POWER6 server to be introduced. This code can also support POWER5 and POWER5+ managed servers, although HMC V6R1.2 with its Web-based System Manager interface continues to be available. (POWER4 managed servers are supported by HMCs running HMC V3R3.7.)<br/><br/>The support notice on HMC V7R3.1.0 can be found at this web page:<br/><br/><a href="https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html">https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html</a><br/><br/>There's a link from that page to a document that provides tips for using the new interface. The new screens are intended to make management more intuitive. <br/><br/>Until third quarter 2007, English is the only language in which messages will be displayed in the new HMC code. <br/><br/>There may be some confusion over how new HMCs are designated. We have, for example, a 7042-C06 and a 7310-C06. The former will be shipped with HMC V7 code (Feature Code #0962), and the latter will default to HMC V6R1.2 (Feature Code #0961). A 7310 HMC can be ordered new or upgraded to HMC V7 with Feature Code #0962. From a hardware point of view, the machines are identical. Likewise, a 7042-CR4 and 7310-CR4 are the same rack-mounted HMC hardware loaded with HMC V7 and HMC V6.1.2, respectively.<br/><br/> <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>A new version of Hardware Management Console code with a browser-based graphical user interface is now available. HMC Version 7 Release 3.1.0 is required to support the recently announced 9117-MMA IBM System p 570, the first POWER6 server to be introduced....046449urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-d84ba6d5-e1d7-43be-aeab-0744d81b4ce2New 7310-CR4 Requires HMC V6R1.2sbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2007-03-07T16:54:02-05:002007-03-07T16:54:02-05:00The recently announced 7310-CR4 rack-mounted HMC requires HMC V6R1.2 Licensed Internal Code. The reason is that this model introduces new hardware to the product line, and device support exists only in the latest HMC code release. From the abstract in the announcement letter:<br/><br/>The IBM 7310 Model CR4 has a Dual Core Intel Xeon 5130, 4 MB Cache, 2.00 GHz, 1333 MHz front-side bus processor, 1 GB of system memory, 80 GB minimum HDD, 12.7 mm DVD-RAM for backup, DVD-RAM media: 4.7 GB single-sided DVD-RAM, type 2 media. <br/><br/>Note that there is no IBM requirement that every HMC in a customer's environment be at exactly the same level. Most customers probably prefer to maintain consistency, however, for the sake of simplicity. However, that does not mean you could not easily have some HMCs managing POWER5 or POWER5+ servers at V5R2.1, V6R1.1 and V6R1.2. Either updating (changes within a version) or upgrading (moving to a new version) can be done without bringing down the managed servers. The Web-based System Manager remote client that works with one will work with all levels, as well as with the HMCs controlling POWER4-based servers.The recently announced 7310-CR4 rack-mounted HMC requires HMC V6R1.2 Licensed Internal Code. The reason is that this model introduces new hardware to the product line, and device support exists only in the latest HMC code release. From the abstract in the announcement letter:<br/><br/>The IBM 7310 Model CR4 has a Dual Core Intel Xeon 5130, 4 MB Cache, 2.00 GHz, 1333 MHz front-side bus processor, 1 GB of system memory, 80 GB minimum HDD, 12.7 mm DVD-RAM for backup, DVD-RAM media: 4.7 GB single-sided DVD-RAM, type 2 media. <br/><br/>Note that there is no IBM requirement that every HMC in a customer's environment be at exactly the same level. Most customers probably prefer to maintain consistency, however, for the sake of simplicity. However, that does not mean you could not easily have some HMCs managing POWER5 or POWER5+ servers at V5R2.1, V6R1.1 and V6R1.2. Either updating (changes within a version) or upgrading (moving to a new version) can be done without bringing down the managed servers. The Web-based System Manager remote client that works with one will work with all levels, as well as with the HMCs controlling POWER4-based servers.The recently announced 7310-CR4 rack-mounted HMC requires HMC V6R1.2 Licensed Internal Code. The reason is that this model introduces new hardware to the product line, and device support exists only in the latest HMC code release. From the abstract in the...015925urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-90c41058-2d3b-4fd3-9080-b944ea1a9bebDaylight Savings Time and the HMCsbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2007-03-07T15:17:40-05:002007-03-07T15:17:40-05:00March 11, 2007, marks the start of Daylight Savings Time this year. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, the time will officially "spring forward" one hour. Patches to HMC code have been available on the HMC home page:<br/><br/>https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html<br/><br/>What happens if you haven't updated your HMC by the time DST begins? Will there be an impact on the managed serves?<br/><br/>The HMC will not stop working, and neither will the managed servers. The time can be reset manually on the HMC. This will entail rebooting, but again, this has no impact on a running managed server. If the managed server's time has changed, but the HMC's has not, there will be no significant issues, either. Error messages posted on the HMC through Service Focal Point record the times on both the managed server and the HMC. Very few HMCs and managed servers are in sync time-wise, unless they are using Network Time Protocol. So the net effect is that you should not experience any problems if you have not set DST by applying the correct updates, based on the HMC code level you're running.March 11, 2007, marks the start of Daylight Savings Time this year. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, the time will officially "spring forward" one hour. Patches to HMC code have been available on the HMC home page:<br/><br/>https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html<br/><br/>What happens if you haven't updated your HMC by the time DST begins? Will there be an impact on the managed serves?<br/><br/>The HMC will not stop working, and neither will the managed servers. The time can be reset manually on the HMC. This will entail rebooting, but again, this has no impact on a running managed server. If the managed server's time has changed, but the HMC's has not, there will be no significant issues, either. Error messages posted on the HMC through Service Focal Point record the times on both the managed server and the HMC. Very few HMCs and managed servers are in sync time-wise, unless they are using Network Time Protocol. So the net effect is that you should not experience any problems if you have not set DST by applying the correct updates, based on the HMC code level you're running.March 11, 2007, marks the start of Daylight Savings Time this year. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, the time will officially "spring forward" one hour. Patches to HMC code have been available on the HMC home page: https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/ho...004133urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-aadfdb53-3967-42af-be97-78787e5d6ef0HMC Version 6 Release 1.0 Available Againsbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2006-09-28T14:10:00-04:002006-09-28T15:49:15-04:00HMC V6.1 has been re-released. This code contains the long-awaited function allowing the HMC to use a proxy server when contacting IBM Service over the Internet. Recovery media and ISO image files are again available through the HMC Corrective Service web site:<br/><br/><a href="https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html">https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html</a> <br/><br/>Important steps must be taken before and after the upgrade.<br/><br/>Before upgrading, administrators need to determine if they have an HMC affected by an internal modem problem that would cause the HMC to hang. This problem exists on some 7310-C04 and 7310-C05 models with PCI internal modems. A PTF is available on current HMC releases that will enable administrators to determine whether their HMC is impacted. Administrators can download the appropriate PTFs from the same web page listed above. After installing the PTF, the administrator should follow instructions provided to determine whether the HMC's internal modem needs to be replaced by IBM. If there's no problem, they can upgrade to HMC 6.1. <br/><br/>After upgrading, administrators should immediately apply a required maintenance fix, MH00833. This corrects a problem activating a VIO server partition containing a shared Ethernet adapter (SEA). That problem was one of the reasons why HMC V6.1 was temporarily withdrawn.<br/><br/>For administrators upgrading from HMC Version 4.x, there are special steps to follow. In a nutshell, it requires saving upgrade data to a DVD-RAM before beginning the upgrade; doing an overwrite install instead of choosing the upgrade option; and using a new command -- <b> rstupgdata -r dvd </b> -- to restore the HMC's data following the upgrade. The full instructions can be found in the link "Upgrade from HMC V4.x to HMC V6.1" found on this page: <br/><br/><a href="https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/power5/install/v61.Rinstall.html">https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/power5/install/v61.Rinstall.html</a><br/><br/>There's also a new optional upgrade procedure for users currently at HMC 5.2.1. This is particularly valuable for those wishing to do an upgrade remotely. The procedure allows administrators to download the image files obtained from IBM to an FTP server in their network, and then use a new command to pull those files to the HMC in a bootable partition. But first, existing customization needs to be saved using the command <b> saveupgdata -r diskdvd</b>, with formatted media in the DVD-RAM drive. This command will save the upgrade data to disk and to the DVD-RAM. The next step is to run the <b> getupgfiles </b> command. The command would look like this: <b> getupgfiles -h host_name -u userID --passwd password -d remote_directory </b>. Then the command <b> chhmc -c altdiskboot -s enable --mode upgrade </b> can be issued and the HMC will be automatically upgraded upon rebooting with the command <b> hmcshutdown -r -t now </b>. The full set of instructions can be found here:<br/><br/><a href="https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/power5/install/v61.Recover_Network.html">https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/power5/install/v61.Recover_Network.html</a><br/><br/>As of this posting, the POWER5 Code matrix had not yet been updated to reflect HMC V6.1.HMC V6.1 has been re-released. This code contains the long-awaited function allowing the HMC to use a proxy server when contacting IBM Service over the Internet. Recovery media and ISO image files are again available through the HMC Corrective Service web site:<br/><br/><a href="https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html">https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html</a> <br/><br/>Important steps must be taken before and after the upgrade.<br/><br/>Before upgrading, administrators need to determine if they have an HMC affected by an internal modem problem that would cause the HMC to hang. This problem exists on some 7310-C04 and 7310-C05 models with PCI internal modems. A PTF is available on current HMC releases that will enable administrators to determine whether their HMC is impacted. Administrators can download the appropriate PTFs from the same web page listed above. After installing the PTF, the administrator should follow instructions provided to determine whether the HMC's internal modem needs to be replaced by IBM. If there's no problem, they can upgrade to HMC 6.1. <br/><br/>After upgrading, administrators should immediately apply a required maintenance fix, MH00833. This corrects a problem activating a VIO server partition containing a shared Ethernet adapter (SEA). That problem was one of the reasons why HMC V6.1 was temporarily withdrawn.<br/><br/>For administrators upgrading from HMC Version 4.x, there are special steps to follow. In a nutshell, it requires saving upgrade data to a DVD-RAM before beginning the upgrade; doing an overwrite install instead of choosing the upgrade option; and using a new command -- <b> rstupgdata -r dvd </b> -- to restore the HMC's data following the upgrade. The full instructions can be found in the link "Upgrade from HMC V4.x to HMC V6.1" found on this page: <br/><br/><a href="https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/power5/install/v61.Rinstall.html">https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/power5/install/v61.Rinstall.html</a><br/><br/>There's also a new optional upgrade procedure for users currently at HMC 5.2.1. This is particularly valuable for those wishing to do an upgrade remotely. The procedure allows administrators to download the image files obtained from IBM to an FTP server in their network, and then use a new command to pull those files to the HMC in a bootable partition. But first, existing customization needs to be saved using the command <b> saveupgdata -r diskdvd</b>, with formatted media in the DVD-RAM drive. This command will save the upgrade data to disk and to the DVD-RAM. The next step is to run the <b> getupgfiles </b> command. The command would look like this: <b> getupgfiles -h host_name -u userID --passwd password -d remote_directory </b>. Then the command <b> chhmc -c altdiskboot -s enable --mode upgrade </b> can be issued and the HMC will be automatically upgraded upon rebooting with the command <b> hmcshutdown -r -t now </b>. The full set of instructions can be found here:<br/><br/><a href="https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/power5/install/v61.Recover_Network.html">https://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/power5/install/v61.Recover_Network.html</a><br/><br/>As of this posting, the POWER5 Code matrix had not yet been updated to reflect HMC V6.1.HMC V6.1 has been re-released. This code contains the long-awaited function allowing the HMC to use a proxy server when contacting IBM Service over the Internet. Recovery media and ISO image files are again available through the HMC Corrective Service web...016690urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-683aa42f-41dd-48b6-a54c-194eca3ed1fdConfiguring Call-Home on an HMC Using SSL Instead of VPNsbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2006-03-16T00:29:00-05:002006-12-05T13:01:32-05:00HMC V5.2, released in February, allows you to configure call-home to IBM Service using Secure Socket Layer connections. For many customers, this is preferable to using the Internet VPN option.<br><br>Here are instructions for configuring outbound communication using SSL:<br><br>1. Go to the Remote Support menu under Service Applications.<br><br>2. Select the Customize Outbound Connectivity task.<br><br>3. Connectivity options include Modem, Internet, Internet VPN and Pass-Through Systems. (Pass-Through Systems are i5/OS partitions.) For SSL connectivity, select the Internet tab.<br><br>4. A Note appears in bold face type suggesting going to the Help menu to see if additional firewall configuration is necessary. <b>This refers to a firewall that exists between the HMC and the Internet.</b> This is nearly always the case. If you follow the links for Internet connectivity in the Help text, you will arrive at a screen telling you to allow outbound communications on port 443 for the following IP addresses. You should have four IP addresses open, two for authentication and two for access to IBM Service by geography:<br><br> 129.42.160.48 and 207.25.252.200 (IBM Service to System Authentication Server)<br><br> 129.42.160.49 and 207.25.252.204 (Allow HMC access to IBM Service for North and South America)<br><br> 129.42.160.50 and 207.25.252.205 (Allow HMC access to IBM Service for all other regions)<br><br>5. At the top of this screen, you can check a box to make this HMC a call-home server for other HMCs on the same subnet. Notice the limitation that they must be on the same subnet.<br><br>6. To enable call-home using SSL, check the box to Allow an Existing Internet Connection for Service.<br><br>7. Use the Test button to make sure outbound connectivity is working. During the test, you will see detailed status information showing that sockets have been successfully opened on the remote IBM server.<br><br>This new functionality is for outbound communication only. If you desire inbound communication from IBM to your HMC and its managed servers, you would have to choose either modem or Internet VPN as your access method. Additional enhancements in call-home support can be expected in the future.<br>HMC V5.2, released in February, allows you to configure call-home to IBM Service using Secure Socket Layer connections. For many customers, this is preferable to using the Internet VPN option.<br><br>Here are instructions for configuring outbound communication using SSL:<br><br>1. Go to the Remote Support menu under Service Applications.<br><br>2. Select the Customize Outbound Connectivity task.<br><br>3. Connectivity options include Modem, Internet, Internet VPN and Pass-Through Systems. (Pass-Through Systems are i5/OS partitions.) For SSL connectivity, select the Internet tab.<br><br>4. A Note appears in bold face type suggesting going to the Help menu to see if additional firewall configuration is necessary. <b>This refers to a firewall that exists between the HMC and the Internet.</b> This is nearly always the case. If you follow the links for Internet connectivity in the Help text, you will arrive at a screen telling you to allow outbound communications on port 443 for the following IP addresses. You should have four IP addresses open, two for authentication and two for access to IBM Service by geography:<br><br> 129.42.160.48 and 207.25.252.200 (IBM Service to System Authentication Server)<br><br> 129.42.160.49 and 207.25.252.204 (Allow HMC access to IBM Service for North and South America)<br><br> 129.42.160.50 and 207.25.252.205 (Allow HMC access to IBM Service for all other regions)<br><br>5. At the top of this screen, you can check a box to make this HMC a call-home server for other HMCs on the same subnet. Notice the limitation that they must be on the same subnet.<br><br>6. To enable call-home using SSL, check the box to Allow an Existing Internet Connection for Service.<br><br>7. Use the Test button to make sure outbound connectivity is working. During the test, you will see detailed status information showing that sockets have been successfully opened on the remote IBM server.<br><br>This new functionality is for outbound communication only. If you desire inbound communication from IBM to your HMC and its managed servers, you would have to choose either modem or Internet VPN as your access method. Additional enhancements in call-home support can be expected in the future.<br>HMC V5.2, released in February, allows you to configure call-home to IBM Service using Secure Socket Layer connections. For many customers, this is preferable to using the Internet VPN option. Here are instructions for configuring outbound communication using...018599urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-737e5d70-ca34-4b42-9e9a-26c4af28df81Remote console terminal - HMCconsole, mkvterm and vtmenusbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2006-02-16T17:38:00-05:002006-02-22T14:37:00-05:00<br>Probably the default method of accessing the console of an LPAR managed by an HMC is to use the HMC from WebSM, and then open a console window. <br><br>What's wrong with this?<br><br>1. Cut and paste don't work well.<br>2. It is inherently insecure even when WebSM uses ssl<br> The vterm is still passed over the network in clear text.<br><br>Next option: Use the 'mkvterm' command after doing an ssh login to the hmc.<br><br>1. You get an ssl protected session.<br>2. It can be tough getting the parameters right.<br><br>Undocumented command makes this easy:<br><br>Use 'vtmenu' which prompts you with the running partitions:<br><br>hscroot@fshmc1:~> vtmenu<br><br><br><br><br> Retrieving name of managed system(s) . . . fs520view: DO NOT MODIFY<br><br> ----------------------------------------------------------<br> Partitions On Managed System: fs520view: DO NOT MODIFY<br> OS/400 Partitions not listed<br> ----------------------------------------------------------<br> 1) "fs2: DO NOT MODIFY" Running<br> 2) "fs3: DO NOT MODIFY" Running<br> 3) "fsvio2: DO NOT MODIFY" Running<br> 4) "fsvio1: DO NOT MODIFY" Running<br> 5) "fs1: DO NOT MODIFY - NIM Server" Running<br> 6) fs4 Running<br><br><br> Enter Number of Running Partition (q to quit): 6<br><br> Opening Virtual Terminal On Partition fs4 . . .<br><br>Open in progress..<br><br>AIX Version 5<br>(C) Copyrights by IBM and by others 1982, 2005.<br>Console login:<br><br>---- As you can see, this was a piece of cake even for an old chemist like myself --<br><br><br>Probably the default method of accessing the console of an LPAR managed by an HMC is to use the HMC from WebSM, and then open a console window. <br><br>What's wrong with this?<br><br>1. Cut and paste don't work well.<br>2. It is inherently insecure even when WebSM uses ssl<br> The vterm is still passed over the network in clear text.<br><br>Next option: Use the 'mkvterm' command after doing an ssh login to the hmc.<br><br>1. You get an ssl protected session.<br>2. It can be tough getting the parameters right.<br><br>Undocumented command makes this easy:<br><br>Use 'vtmenu' which prompts you with the running partitions:<br><br>hscroot@fshmc1:~> vtmenu<br><br><br><br><br> Retrieving name of managed system(s) . . . fs520view: DO NOT MODIFY<br><br> ----------------------------------------------------------<br> Partitions On Managed System: fs520view: DO NOT MODIFY<br> OS/400 Partitions not listed<br> ----------------------------------------------------------<br> 1) "fs2: DO NOT MODIFY" Running<br> 2) "fs3: DO NOT MODIFY" Running<br> 3) "fsvio2: DO NOT MODIFY" Running<br> 4) "fsvio1: DO NOT MODIFY" Running<br> 5) "fs1: DO NOT MODIFY - NIM Server" Running<br> 6) fs4 Running<br><br><br> Enter Number of Running Partition (q to quit): 6<br><br> Opening Virtual Terminal On Partition fs4 . . .<br><br>Open in progress..<br><br>AIX Version 5<br>(C) Copyrights by IBM and by others 1982, 2005.<br>Console login:<br><br>---- As you can see, this was a piece of cake even for an old chemist like myself --<br><br>Probably the default method of accessing the console of an LPAR managed by an HMC is to use the HMC from WebSM, and then open a console window. What's wrong with this? 1. Cut and paste don't work well. 2. It is inherently insecure even when WebSM uses ssl...0635224urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-d3f442c4-8ea1-4c9b-a17d-04fc39a1e716New 153 Release of p590/p595 Microcodesbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2006-01-29T14:25:00-05:002006-01-29T14:25:00-05:00If you're planning to upgrade the microcode on your p590/p595 system, I recommend waiting for the 153 version which should be out soon. (The current version is 150, Nov 2005)<br><br>If you have already planned an outage for the upgrade, I would consider downloading the 153 ISO image from the server located in Boulder. <br><br>open a DOS window<br>ftp testcase-blue.boulder.ibm.com<br>enter 'anonymous' as the id<br>enter 'your e-mail address' as the password<br>cd /hardware/fromibm/9119/<br>bin<br>mget 01SF230_153_120.iso<br><br>Be sure to check the prereq's before upgrading:<br> <br>- ensure that the network connections between the HMC and server are good (connected) before you update the code<br>- ensure power microcode is at the 155 level, minimum<br>- ensure the HMC is upgraded to the latest efix of MH00454<br>- apply code<br>- verify after the update<br><br>Again, this only applies to the p590/p595 models.If you're planning to upgrade the microcode on your p590/p595 system, I recommend waiting for the 153 version which should be out soon. (The current version is 150, Nov 2005)<br><br>If you have already planned an outage for the upgrade, I would consider downloading the 153 ISO image from the server located in Boulder. <br><br>open a DOS window<br>ftp testcase-blue.boulder.ibm.com<br>enter 'anonymous' as the id<br>enter 'your e-mail address' as the password<br>cd /hardware/fromibm/9119/<br>bin<br>mget 01SF230_153_120.iso<br><br>Be sure to check the prereq's before upgrading:<br> <br>- ensure that the network connections between the HMC and server are good (connected) before you update the code<br>- ensure power microcode is at the 155 level, minimum<br>- ensure the HMC is upgraded to the latest efix of MH00454<br>- apply code<br>- verify after the update<br><br>Again, this only applies to the p590/p595 models.If you're planning to upgrade the microcode on your p590/p595 system, I recommend waiting for the 153 version which should be out soon. (The current version is 150, Nov 2005) If you have already planned an outage for the upgrade, I would consider downloading...003888urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entry-3563e431-4e7e-4f79-a4a4-44a9196eb9aeMy Best Practices for Maintaining Microcode/HMCsbodily100000RUAAactivefalseComment Entriesapplication/atom+xml;type=entryLikestrue2005-12-12T21:24:00-05:002005-12-12T21:25:00-05:00System microcode and HMC versions are becoming increasingly coupled. New microcode requires the latest HMC version. And the latest HMC version may not be fully backward compatible with older microcode. <br><br>Customers are responsible for maintaining the HMC and system microcode on most pSeries models. To avoid problems, here are "my best practices" for maintaining HMC-microcode. This list intended for mission critical, production systems. Further it is intended for system microcode, rather than adapter microcode. You'll notice that some of the practices are conflicting. In those cases, use the "best compromise" for your environment. And a final disclaimer: these are my best practices, and not necessarily those of my employer. <br><br><br><b>My Best System Microcode/HMC Practices</b><br><br><br>1. "If it ain't broke, don't fix." <br>2. Be on an IBM supported and compatible combination of microcode and HMC. <br>3. Let new releases "age" a couple of months before applying. <br>4. Check with IBM Support for known problems before updating <br>5. Practice the update on a test system before implementing in production. <br>6. Backup the HMC and configuration data before updating. <br>7. For 7x24 systems, use a backup server to run production while doing the update. <br>8. In highly critical situations, have a spare FSP available. <br>9. Check the microcode on new servers. Update as necessary. <br>10 If unsure, call IBM Support. <br><br><br>Valid reasons for upgrading include moving to a supported version, fixing a problem or adding a new function. Otherwise, if a production system is running smoothly, I would not upgrade. Upgrades are disruptive (IPL) and can introduce new problems. <br><br>Don't feel compelled to upgrade to every new release level. There have been four microcode releases in the last five months. Three of the four releases required downtime. This is neither reasonable or necessary. All else being equal, I recommend updating once or twice per year to the "n-1" version. <br><br>Let new versions age a couple of months before applying. Check with IBM Support before to determine whether there are any known problems before proceeding. (I recommend calling Support during prime shift, which tends to have higher skill levels.) <br><br>Be sure the microcode/HMC levels are compatible. Unfortunately, compatible versions are not documented. This will be fixed next year. In the mean time, my advice is to use microcode and HMC releases with similar release dates. The closer the release dates, the lower the chance of having a problem. <br><br>New servers may arrive at different microcode levels. (Depends on how long the system sat in the warehouse.) Be sure to check all the microcode levels and update as necessary. <br><br><br><b>Tools, Practical Considerations</b><br><br>The AIX "invscout" command lists current microcode levels, and can be used to produce a report that can be uploaded to an IBM web site and compared against current microcode levels. For more information, see <a href="http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/pseries/topic/com.ibm.aix.doc/cmds/aixcmds3/invscout.htm">http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/pseries/topic/com.ibm.aix.doc/cmds/aixcmds3/invscout.htm</a> <br><br>Updates can be downloaded from the Internet at IBM Fix Central: <a href="http://www-912.ibm.com/eserver/support/fixes">http://www-912.ibm.com/eserver/support/fixes</a> <br><br>Naming convention for microcode updates: <br><br>01SFXXX_YYY_ZZZ <br><br><br>XXX is the release level <br>YYY is the service pack level <br>ZZZ is the last disruptive service pack level <br><br>Upgrades between release levels (xxx) are disruptive (must re-IPL). Updates between service pack levels may be run concurrently. <br><br><br><b>Current Issues</b><br><br>You may need to upgrade an existing HMC to support a new server. As soon as you upgrade the HMC for the new server, you may need to upgrade the existing managed servers. <br><br>You can run into problems if the microcode and HMC levels are far apart (1 year). The systems can range from not being able to create new virtual devices, do dynamic operations, or install a new partition. If you have upgraded the HMC, and experience problems on the server, check the microcode level. <br><br>I've twice experienced false failures when upgrading microcode. The failure message appears on the HMC, and looks pretty serious. However, in both cases, it was a timing error on the HMC which corrupted the server's profile. The fix was to reboot the HMC. If you experience a similar problem, try rebooting the HMC before calling support. <br><br>System microcode and HMC versions are becoming increasingly coupled. New microcode requires the latest HMC version. And the latest HMC version may not be fully backward compatible with older microcode. <br><br>Customers are responsible for maintaining the HMC and system microcode on most pSeries models. To avoid problems, here are "my best practices" for maintaining HMC-microcode. This list intended for mission critical, production systems. Further it is intended for system microcode, rather than adapter microcode. You'll notice that some of the practices are conflicting. In those cases, use the "best compromise" for your environment. And a final disclaimer: these are my best practices, and not necessarily those of my employer. <br><br><br><b>My Best System Microcode/HMC Practices</b><br><br><br>1. "If it ain't broke, don't fix." <br>2. Be on an IBM supported and compatible combination of microcode and HMC. <br>3. Let new releases "age" a couple of months before applying. <br>4. Check with IBM Support for known problems before updating <br>5. Practice the update on a test system before implementing in production. <br>6. Backup the HMC and configuration data before updating. <br>7. For 7x24 systems, use a backup server to run production while doing the update. <br>8. In highly critical situations, have a spare FSP available. <br>9. Check the microcode on new servers. Update as necessary. <br>10 If unsure, call IBM Support. <br><br><br>Valid reasons for upgrading include moving to a supported version, fixing a problem or adding a new function. Otherwise, if a production system is running smoothly, I would not upgrade. Upgrades are disruptive (IPL) and can introduce new problems. <br><br>Don't feel compelled to upgrade to every new release level. There have been four microcode releases in the last five months. Three of the four releases required downtime. This is neither reasonable or necessary. All else being equal, I recommend updating once or twice per year to the "n-1" version. <br><br>Let new versions age a couple of months before applying. Check with IBM Support before to determine whether there are any known problems before proceeding. (I recommend calling Support during prime shift, which tends to have higher skill levels.) <br><br>Be sure the microcode/HMC levels are compatible. Unfortunately, compatible versions are not documented. This will be fixed next year. In the mean time, my advice is to use microcode and HMC releases with similar release dates. The closer the release dates, the lower the chance of having a problem. <br><br>New servers may arrive at different microcode levels. (Depends on how long the system sat in the warehouse.) Be sure to check all the microcode levels and update as necessary. <br><br><br><b>Tools, Practical Considerations</b><br><br>The AIX "invscout" command lists current microcode levels, and can be used to produce a report that can be uploaded to an IBM web site and compared against current microcode levels. For more information, see <a href="http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/pseries/topic/com.ibm.aix.doc/cmds/aixcmds3/invscout.htm">http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/pseries/topic/com.ibm.aix.doc/cmds/aixcmds3/invscout.htm</a> <br><br>Updates can be downloaded from the Internet at IBM Fix Central: <a href="http://www-912.ibm.com/eserver/support/fixes">http://www-912.ibm.com/eserver/support/fixes</a> <br><br>Naming convention for microcode updates: <br><br>01SFXXX_YYY_ZZZ <br><br><br>XXX is the release level <br>YYY is the service pack level <br>ZZZ is the last disruptive service pack level <br><br>Upgrades between release levels (xxx) are disruptive (must re-IPL). Updates between service pack levels may be run concurrently. <br><br><br><b>Current Issues</b><br><br>You may need to upgrade an existing HMC to support a new server. As soon as you upgrade the HMC for the new server, you may need to upgrade the existing managed servers. <br><br>You can run into problems if the microcode and HMC levels are far apart (1 year). The systems can range from not being able to create new virtual devices, do dynamic operations, or install a new partition. If you have upgraded the HMC, and experience problems on the server, check the microcode level. <br><br>I've twice experienced false failures when upgrading microcode. The failure message appears on the HMC, and looks pretty serious. However, in both cases, it was a timing error on the HMC which corrupted the server's profile. The fix was to reboot the HMC. If you experience a similar problem, try rebooting the HMC before calling support. <br><br>System microcode and HMC versions are becoming increasingly coupled. New microcode requires the latest HMC version. And the latest HMC version may not be fully backward compatible with older microcode. Customers are responsible for maintaining the HMC and...004766urn:lsid:ibm.com:blogs:entries-fa852cb9-77c8-440c-8f89-44492192136bAIXpert Blog2016-12-09T13:01:13-05:00